One Last Time
by kakashidiot
Summary: RyuuShuu, SakujuShuu. Shuurei says goodbye to a ghost during her honeymoon trip. One last time for her old nemesis to hear her playing and drink her tea. ANGST! RandR!


**_I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari._**

**_It is owned by Yura Kairi._**

**_Pairing: Sakuju/Shuu, Ryuu/Shuu_**

**_Dedicated to Natasmaii_**

_**Read and REVIEW!!!!!!!!!**_

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**One Last Time**

She turned the corner and froze.

"What is it, Shuurei?" Ryuuki asked. "Did you find the owner?"

"N-n-no..." The young Empress blushed as she swung around and headed back to the waiting carriage. "He - he's not here. Let's check in town."

"I could have sworn Shouka-sama said this was the place," Ran Shuuei said. "But then - this writing is blurry... someone split tea on it..."

"Here LET ME SEE!" Kouyuu barked, snatching the paper out of his friend's hand.

"GAH! SHUUEI YOU IDIOT!!! It says 'Plume Lane'! Not -"

"Oh goodness," Shuurei sighed. "We've been at this for half an hour. No wonder."

"Well, it IS a big city..." Ryuuki craned his neck staring around the quiet street. "Even though you wouldn't know it here..."

"It's the capital of the Kou Province," Shuurei sighed. "Of COURSE it's big. This is only a - a -"

"Suburb," Kouyuu interjected.

"Yes," Shuurei sighed.

Ryuuki echoed her.

"Still... so much trouble," he eyed his long retinue. "And so many people! All we wanted was a romantic honeymoon!"

"It will be," chorussed Shuuei and Shuurei.

"Romantic!" muttered Kouyuu.

"Just... it's a good chance to tour the kingdom AND take a break," Shuurei laughed lightly. "Catching two birds with one stone."

"Shuurei-sama is right," Kouyuu nodded.

Shuurei left without looking back. But that night she dreamed.

_"I love you."_

_"Please make me Gan Lu tea. If you don't, I'll die."_

_"You look better with your hair down that way."_

_And blood trickled down from the corners of his mouth._

_"I love you."_

Two days later, Ryuuki embroiled himself with the merchant guild thanks to Kouyuu - and Shuuei disappeared into the Red Light District, with some messages from Kouchou (or so he said). Which left Shuurei high and dry for several hours. While Ryuuki wondered why his new wife hadn't jumped into the fray over the heated discussion of road taxes, Shuurei made her way back sedately to Plum Lane.

It was a small cottage with a tiny garden out front and - as she went around the corner of the house - a large wilderness around the back.

He was still there as if he had never moved, still bent over the flowers as he watered them. Stepping silently over the grass, Shuurei couldn't say anything -

Her mouth moved but no sound came out.

The servant on the other side of the garden, catching sight of her splendid day outfit, blinked, unsure of what to say.

"W-w-w-waka-sama?" squeaked Shuurei, suddenly finding her voice.

A pause.

Sakujun froze, swung around and then, stumbling blindly, moved back.

"Who's that?" he asked warily, eyes darting around.

And Shuurei stepped back as the shocking realization hit her - his eyes wandering around, never found hers.

"Waka-sama!" she ran forward, tears in her eyes. "It's Shuurei!"

"Sh-shuurei? How -?"

His hand rose to cup her cheek; she took his fingers and guided them over her face. And his lips turned up with a smile of relief.

"Shuurei!" He bent down and firmly kissed her on the mouth. "I missed you! Have you missed me?"

"W-w-w-waka-saammmaaa!!!" she yelled. "W-w-w-what are you DOING?"

"Call me Sakujun," he sighed with dissappointment.

She rolled her eyes.

"Sakujun -"

His hands tightened on hers.

"Shuu-rei..."

"Let's sit here," she found two chairs beside a small, rickety table. Shuurei stood up and looked around. "You look like you've been busy. What do you think?" She finally suggested. "How about some tea?"

"I would be grateful," Sakujun murmured hesitantly, self-consciously, swiping at his rather muddy robe (and not aware of the smudge of soil on his forehead).

_He's different._

Half an hour later, the two were sitting, feasting on some buns and drinking teas, filling the uncomfortable gaps of silence with small talk.

_So much has changed_, she mused. _Before he was the one to pull all the strings, talking me further into a web of deceit and confusion. And I can't forget what he did. Although those lives he hurt in a quest for interesting things to relieve his boredom..._

_Still..._

Her eyes dropped to his left hand, nervously fiddling with the edge of his sleeve - and the ungaurdedness of his blind eyes.

_It's different now._

"I'm married."

"Oh?" He said smoothly. Sakujun frowned.

"Yes. Just recently, in fact."

"I see."

He gnawed his lip in thought, then nodded, eyebrows knitting even closer together.

"So the Emperor coming to town as part of his country tour to his celebrate his wedding - your being here -"

"Yes."

"No coincidence. Mhmmm... you gave in then?"

"Some things are worth giving into."

"But never me," he said softly and bitterly.

"I didn't know what to think. And I wasn't given much choice - and you - killed alot of people, too."

"I was bored..."

"And no remorse, even now. Really!"

"There's no crying over spilt milk. In the end, we all pay someway or another."

Shuurei fell silent.

Sakujun sighed, resting his chin leisurely on the palm of his hand.

_Only this man can make bad manners look good_, Shuurei thought crossly.

"So you came to..." Sakujun said quietly, with some resignation. "Take me where I belong? To imprison me? Or execute me?"

"I don't know," Shuurei said honestly after a moment.

It was hard to decide, especially when confronted by the wild beauty of the smooth pale skin, curling long hair, straight shoulders and slim elegent hands. A fragile beauty made vulnerable by marks of time and hardship - the callouses on his hands, the glimpse of a scar on his collarbone and his blind eyes.

His hands were now searching for the teapot, brushing lightly over his cup, the milk jug and finally the teapot.

"Here," she said. "Let me."

"I can do it. I've learned."

"Let me - oh! It's gotten cold! I'll go make a new pot!"

In the kitchen, Shuurei thought furiously as she waited for the water to boil.

_I should -_

_I can just hear Seiran saying, "He's a murder who caused the deaths of many innocent people on a whim. Just because -"_

_I am bored - _

_I love you - Kou-rin!_

_You can be the only one to mourn for him, Ryuuren had told her as she cried in his arms. _

_I'll love you for always._

_Please call me by my name - I want you to see only me -_

_I want you to remember me for all time -_

_Let me be at least your number three..._

_Sa Sakujun -_

_What am I to do with you?_

She looked up, and glanced around the small kitchen, shabby, poor and dusty. And in the next room, a small bedroom-living room -

Shuurei peered into it, noting the neatness, the rolled up bed mat and the beat erhu lying on a small desk.

She smiled.

"Sorry for the wait," Shuurei said, startling the blind man out of a reverie. "It took a while for the pot to boil."

"It's no matter."

"Here. New tea."

She poured it for him and watched him sip the fragrant drink.

He smiled - sadly.

"So that's your answer," he said softly, his voice husky with suppressed emotion.

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"I saw an erhu."

He paused, teacup midway to his lips.

"I thought it would be good to play for you one last time. I always wanted to - always felt bad -" Her voice ended in a whisper.

He leaned forward and found her hand.

"Shuurei - I -"

"It's okay," she patted him and then busied herself with the instrument. "This is a thank you of a sorts for -"

"Messing up your life?"

"For making me aware - teaching me important life lessons."

"Ah."

"Let's see - you favorite I recall was -"

Shuurei played for an hour straight, then rose afterwards reluctantly.

"I have to go," she said, ignoring the lump in her throat. "I've always wanted to say goodbye properly. I'm sorry that I could never love you back the way you wanted - needed."

She leaned forward, kissed him on his now wet cheek -

"Goodbye, Sa Sakujun."

"Shuurei -"

A pause.

"I still love you. I'll love you forever."

"I know."

She strode away, tears stinging her eyes, a funny, clenching feeling in her chest.

_Sakujun smiling. Sakujun lolling on his bed complaining about the heat. Sakujun's long hair under her fingers. Sakujun falling asleep to the sound of her melancholy erhu. Sakujun's lips on hers. His husky voice - his lies - his promises - his "love"..._

But it was alright now.

He was there - different, better, fragile - and yet, not changed - still steady -

And happy - sitting in front of stone cold Gan Lu tea.

**- OWARI -**

**Epilogue:**

Ryuuki was puzzled. Shuurei had not only passed up the opportunity to argue over the taxes but she had disappeared for several hours, according to the housekeeper, only to return with a very quiet demeanor.

_Like she's been to some funeral._

"Shuurei - where were you today?"

Shuurei looked up from her needlework and smiled.

"Just -"

Before she left, Shuurei found an errand boy to deliver a handkerchief to an old friend. Ryuuki blinked, remembering her hard work on the kerchief over the last two days - a mass of blue bellflowers on a peach background.

"What are you doing?" he asked, now REALLY curious.

Shuurei shook her head answered as before, "Just laying a ghost to rest. Just saying goodbye."


End file.
